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THE LEGEND OF MONTEZUMA. 

Montezuma was born in Pecos Pueblo. He rode southward on the 
back of an eagle, followed by the people. Wherever he alighted for the 
night, a pueblo was built. At the last stop, the eagle alighted on a cac- 
tus bush and was devoured by a snake. On this spot the City of 
Mexico was built. 

In these pueblos or villages, for many centuries, something like six 
thoiisand Indians have lived. They are a happy, trustful, poetic, reli- 
gious people, full of human sympathy, full of mysticism. They wove 
cotton cloth before America was discovered. They built Christian 
churches of their own before the Mayflower arrived. They construct- 
ed mills and ground their corn. Their houses are now and always 
have been equal or superior in cleanliness, in their substantial charac- 
ter, to those of their American or Mexican neighbors. 

These villagers, with their herds and fields, lived in communion with 
spiritual things. In the Moon of the Shearing, they harvested their 
wool. In the Planting Time of the Corn, the seeds were covered, with 
ceremony and prayer. The Reader of the Stars of Puye interpreted 
the Heavens. When the Sun went on the South Trail, the priest of 
the Winter Clan got out his ceremonial bowl and repaired to the Kiva, 
tliere to commune with the Ruler of Magic. They wooed the Maid of 
the Corn Silk Hair. They lived, married, and gave in marriage until 
there approached the Shadows at the End of the Trail, always with 
faith in the Great Mystery. 

And when the Priests of the White God came from the South, bear- 
ing aloft the Cross, the people believed, and with their own hands, built 



To P'riends of the Indi.\ns. — While this pamphlet is for gratuitous 
distribution, the actual cost of printing, binding and mailing is 
about four cents each in ten thousand lots. Friends wishing 
to aid in protecting these Indians are invited to send in lists of 
addresses of any size together with four cents for each name to 
cover the expense. Or send in a check for as many pamphlet* 
as desired and they will be mailed to clergy lists, "Who's 
Who" lists, etc. It is hoped^that a situation may be created 
whereby it will be impossible for another such series of out- 
rages to be inflicted upon a dependent people for a generation 
to come. 

Address-: William E. Johxso.\t, Laurel, ^Maryland. 



The Story of Juan Cruz. 
THE CANADA DE SANTA CLARA. 



On July iq, 1763, Gov. Tomas Ve 
tions of Padre Mariano Rodriquez 
grant to the Santa Clara Pueblo of 
Qara, which runs westward as far 
situated the tract of land granted to 
it no settler shall be allowed or any 
mentioned were conditional grants, 
and the grants were later cancelled. 



lez Cachupin, upon the representa- 
de la Terre, made an additional 
"the whole of the Valley of Santa 
as the mountains, and in which is 
Juan and Antonio Tafoya, and in 
grant made." The Tafoya grant.' 
The conditions were not observed. 
Under the Cachupin grant, settlers 




REV. FATHER G. HAELTERMAN 

Missionary Priest in charge of the Parish of Santa Cruz 

were frequently removed and the Indians protected in their rights. 
This grant was confirmed by the Court of Private Land Claims, in 
1894, and was commonly supposed to consist of about ninety thousand 
acres of land. 



The Story of Juan Cruz. - 

Then there followed eight years of legal surveys and squabbling over 
the interpretation of the "valley" or canada of Santa Clara Earlv in 
the administration of Superintendent Crandall, the canada was judici- 
ally determined to mean the "canon" of Santa Clara River, and the 
ninety thousand acres of land dwindled to about nine hundred acres 
which were patented to the Indians. "God gave us the land, but the 
Ln.ted States surveyed us out of it," explained the venerable and be- 
loved l^rancisco Naranjo. 

The outcry of the Indians at this loss of their lands reached the ears 
oi Frances E. Leupp, who was then Commissioner. Through the ef- 
forts of Mr. Leupp, a portion of these lands, amounting to "about 30- 
000 acres, were restored to the Indians in the form of an "Executive 
Order Indian Reservation, at the hands of President Roosevelt 

But the Indians were not destined to get the benefit of even this Ex- 
ecutive Order land. Through the manipulation of ' Superintendent 
Crandall, a "deal" with the Forest Service by which the cattle of Am- 
erican and Mexicans grazing on the Jemez" Forest Reserve, were to be 
permitted to water in the Santa Clara River, within the Santa Clara 
lands. In lieu of this, the various pueblos were to be allowed to graze 
two thousand head of cattle on the Jemez Forest Reserve. 

The way this deal worked out under CrandalFs administration was 
this : 

I. The Indian cattle on the Forest Reserve would habitually "disap- 
pear. ' The cattle did not "disappear" on any other range, so the In- 
dians were thus forced to withdraw their cattle from the Jemez Forest 
range, and even from their own Executive Order reservation, and pas- 
ture their cattle where they could, many of them hiring pastures of 
private land owners. 

^ 2. The American and .Mexican politicians, under color of this 
•deal, took possession of the Indian thirty-thousand-acre reservation 
and also ot their fee simple lands, and held possession for seven years 
vithout compensation to the Indians. 

Again and again did the Indians complain. Again and again did the 
priest of the parish. Father Haelterman protest. Seven months ago 
Commissioner Valentine tried to correct the injustice, but was balked 
by the Department intrigues of Assistant Commissioner Abbott. Both 
Singleton and myself personally pleaded with Abbott in behalf of the 
Iiidians. One friend of the Indians personallv pleaded with Assistant 
Secretary Adams, but the only reply of Adams was : "Oh hell ; there 
are a lot of white and ^Mexican cattlemen down there whose interests 
wd have got to consider as well as the Indians." 

Adams sustained Crandall and Abbott in their manoeuvers to keep 
the cattle on the land as late as September. On October first, I left the 
Government service and exposed this outrage in the newspapers. The 
Department thereupon permitted Commissioner Valentine to hurry 
down to New Mexico and order the cattle driven off. In this act, the 




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The Story of Juan Cruz. 7 

outcr.es of the Indians for seven years were justified. It required 
seven years of protests and finally a public scandal to niduce the De- 
partment to correct this robbery." 

SOME VAGARIES-DRUG STORE WHISKEY. 

_ In the meantime, the Indians began accusing Superintendent Cran- 
oall of selhng whiskey illegally at his drug store in Santa Fe Thev 
worked up evidence in three good cases against the store and tried to 
get nidictments from the grand jury. The foreman of the grand inrv 
was a partner with Crandall in the drug store. The District Attorne; 
IS the attorney for the Hobart land interests against the Indians and 
w-as the one employed by interested parties to assist in the prosecution 
cf Juan Cruz m Rio Arriba County. The Indians naturally got no in- 
dictments against Crandall's store. 

This, together with complaints about their being plundered of their 
lr.nds, enraged Superintendent Crandall and he started out on a cam- 
paign of revenge. He proposed to the Indian Office as a "punishment" 
for the Santa Clara Indians that they be deprived of their Executive 
Order reservation, that some additional land be added and that the 
vxhole amount be created into an Executive Order reservafon for the 
benefit of all the Tehuas Indians, of which the Santa Claras are but a 
small part. Assistant Commissioner Abbott promptly got in behind the 
P'ot to plunder the Santa Claras, hut he was crafty enough to not call 
It a 'punishment." He put on his benevolent face and solemnly talked 
fT>> h^ S'^'^e'^-e to '-benefit the Pueblo Indians by getting them more 
land. The i lot was tantamount to a proposal to rob the Irish of their 
domain and give the land to the Scotch for the benefit of the United 
Kingdom. Abbott had this plunder scheme nearlv through the Interior 
Department when it was temporarily blocked through the efi^orts of In 
spector Smglelon. Owing to the publicity of this scheme to plunder 
the Santa Clara pueblo of their lands, it is said that the plot has been 
abandoned. 

A STUDY IN HUMAN SYMPATHY 
Eight years ago, there came to the Santa Clara Pueblo, as "govern- 
ment housekeeper," .Mrs. Francis D. True, the widow of a Confederate 
Army officer. Her daughter. Clara D. True, was installed as "teacher" 
in the Government Indian school. It was a "grass-hopper vear," and 
Indian crops were well-nigh nil. The following winter, came a dread- 
ful epidemic of diphtheria of the most malignant tvpe. Within two 
weeks one-tenth of the entire village died. Fourteen children out of 
the Indian school were buried. In a frenzy of terror, the Indians 
drove away the doctor. The military were appealed to. but refused to 
take a hand because the Indians were "citizens." The Territorial 
Board of Health refused aid because the Indians were "not citizens." 
Superintendent Crandall, who displayed great energy in keeping away 
fiom the danger zone, finally wired Miss True to do the best she could. 



8 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

For two weeks, no white person came to the village except Father 
Haelterman, the devoted parish priest. In that time, Mrs. True and 
her daughter with their own hands renovated and fumigated sixty In- 
dian homes — every house in the village. They burned the old bedding 
and blankets. They pacified and comforted the Indians. They pur- 
chased on their own credit new bedding, new blankets, disinfectants, 
groceries and supplies. They stamped out the epidemic. Crandall did 
not come till "the grass came," the Indians tell me. 

Then Miss True sought Superintendent Crandall's aid in inducing 
the Government to re-imburse her for the bedding, blankets and sup- 
plies purchased during the epidemic. He flatly refused. "You had no 
authority to make those purchases," he angerly declared, "and I will 
just make an example of you for exceeding your authority in this way; 
you will have to pay for those things yourself." 

And for two years Mother True and her daughter set aside a por- 
tion of their salary each month in paying these bills on the installment 
plan. 

Out of this warp and woof was woven the fabric of devotion 
that has since existed on the part of these Indians for their former 
teacher, Clara D. True, a devotion that has been perfected and am- 
plified in a thousand different acts during the eight years that have fol- 
lowed. "Miss True is the only sister that I have," said old Francisco 
Naranjo to me one day as a big tear trickled down the furrows of his 
swarthy face. "I want to maka da straight way for my people, and 
you and Miss True must show me how," said Governor Santiago to me 
one morning after he and I had spent the night together, rolled in the 
same blanket, up in a mountain canon. "As long as I live, Senora True 
will be my mother," said Leandro Tafoya to me one day, while I was 
trjang to help him locate the boundaries of the new village school 
grounds. Leandro will be ninety-one years old next February, and is 
twenty-five years older than his "mother." 

Last July, in Santa Clara canon, the flood tore out all the Indian 
farms that the Mexican cattle had not destroyed. Stock was drowned 
j.nd orchards wiped out. i\Irs. True and her daughter, with their 
friend, Mary T. Bryan, at once donated necessary supplies to relieve 
immediate distress and put a dozen of the Indian men at work on their 
ranch at good wages, as a relief measure. The representatives of the 
Interior Department, with almost superhuman intelligence, as a "relief 
measure," benevolently offered to sell the Indians some government 
barbed wire at fifty cents per bale more than the market price, and take 
the pay for it in work. 

IN HONOR OF THE RETURN OF VIRTUE 

Two years ago I began operating among these Pueblos in divers 
ways, all looking to the rooting out of the liquor traffic which was play- 
ing havoc among them. I had made previous attempts working in con- 
nection with Superintendent Crandall, but obtained no results. The 



10 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

Indians would have nothing to do with any of my deputies who work- 
ed in connection with Crandall, for whom they had a deep-seated 
hatred on account of the abuses heaped upon them under his adminis- 
tration. 

I then sent into the field, Harold F. Coggeshall and employed to as- 
sist him, as my deputies, Miss True and Pedro Baca, the latter an in- 
fluential, earnest, Pueblo Indian, who had been educated by the Jesuit 
Fathers. Results came in rapid succession. The Indians by the score 
flocked to the total abstinence standard, as well as began assisting in 
securing evidence against persons guilty of selling liquor to Indians. 
In this, the Santa Clara Indians took the lead. Out of nearly three 
hundred of these Indians, only three or four are left who drink. The 
Santa Clara men became crusaders. They converted almost the whole 
village of San Ildefonso. They sent missionaries to Cochiti, to Picuris, 
to Jemez, to San Juan, to Iseleta and other Pueblos. They formed a 
total abstinence society, adopted a badge consisting of a silver arrow, 
and practically the whole village enlisted. They sent a delegation of 
four Indians to the recent W. C. T. U. Convention at Las Vegas, where 
they made addresses in Spanish before the Convention, before the Y. 
M. C. A., and before the Normal University. They formed a Federa- 
tion which now comprises practically every Indian Pueblo in New- 
Mexico, the chief purpose of which are to cut out the liquor traffic 
and to endeavor to protect themselves from the land and pasturage 
robberies that were being inflicted upon them. The Chief of the Fed- 
eration is Francisco Naranjo, the most influential of all Pueblo Indians. 
Last spring, the Indians saw that which they had done was "good." So 
tliey set apart a day in celebration. Arrayed in fantastic attire, they 
gave their historic dance in honor of the "Return of Virtue," a cere- 
monial which is never given except in honor of some great event that 
has wrought great benefits to the life of the people. Hundreds of In- 
dians participated in this great event, Pedro Baca being the "Master 
of Ceremonies." 

THE TRAGEDY OF CHAMITA 

Among the early recruits to this band was Juan Cruz, a young In- 
d'an Sir Galahad from Pueblo San Juan. Cruz had the spirit of a cru- 
sader. He was devoted to his church, to his young wife Dolorita, and 
to their baby Jose. Little Jose is said to be the first Indian child ever 
christened in the Espanola Valley without wine. A year ago, Assis- 
tant Chief Coggeshall had made Juan a posseman deputy in my name 
and employed him on various occasions to assist, sometimes in distant 
Pueblos. I paid Juan officially for these services. 

In the midst of these activities, Supt. Crandall advised the rough, 
drunken Indians that my deputies had no "authority" and that no at- 
tention should be paid to them. Under the inspiration of that advice, 
four rough Indians of bad character, attacked Juan Cruz, while he was 



The Story of Juan Cruz. II 

in the aci of taking a bottle of whiskey which the leader, Dolores Garcia 
had just purchased. The Indians beat Juan with stones and clubs, 
iTiashing in his mouth and loosening two of his teeth. Juan drew his 
revolver and, in defense of his life, fired into the darkness, the bullet 
hitting Garcia who died an hour later. 

Cruz was arrested and held to the grand jury, on charge of murder 
in first degree, conviction for which, under New Mexico law, could be 
nothing less than death. Superintendent Crandall sent in a hostile 
telegram to the Indian Office. To a telegram of inquiry from the In- 
dian Office, I replied : 

Santa Fe, N. M., Feb. 7, 191 1. 
Indian Office, Washington, D. C. 

Your wire yesterday re Cruz shooting. Crandall misinformed 
about Cruz claiming to be policeman appointed by Miss True. Last 
fall he aided Coggeshall as posse. At present time he was actiug 
imder instructions Governor of Santa Clara Pueblo. Santa Clara 
and other Pueblos have banded together to eliminate liquor on 
their own motion and their attempt to do this led to shooting. I 
regard it best to withhold defense for present. Drew out prosecu- 
tion and Cruz was held without bail. 

Johnson. 

1 had just reached Santa Fe and the information that I gathered 
quickly was chiefly from Supt. Crandall and F. S. Wilson, attorney for 
the Pueblo Indians. Upon later and personal investigation, I found 
their information to be unreliable and worthless. I had not yet ascer- 
tained the part that mj' regular commissioned deputies played in 
events leading up to the tragedy. Attorney Wilson advised me that a 
non-commissioned employee in suppressing the liquor traffic among In- 
dians was not a "deputy" de jure. But whether he was a de jure 
deputy or not, it was clear that he was acting in good faith and I felt 
it my duty to stand behind the boy to the last ditch. I was, therefore, 
astounded at receiving the following telegram from Assistant Com- 
missioner Abbott ordering me to abondon the boy to his fate : 

Washington, D. C, Feb. 9, 191 1. 

Johnson, Special Officer, Care Supt. Perry, 
Albuquerque, N. M. 
Your telegram seventh, Cruz shooting. Since Cruz not authoriz- 
ed Government employee your service, take no steps regarding liis 
defense. Consult Supt. Crandall and give him all information in your 
possession. 

Abbott, Assistant Commissioner. 

There were no living witnesses to the shooting except the three liv- 
ing assailants, all of whom swore at the preliminary hearing that the 
shooting was entirely unprovoked. 

I could not see the boy go the gallows undefended. I appealed to 
Crandall to do something. He complacently reported to me that "all 
the facts had come out at the hearing" and that nothing could be done 
except to "work on the sympathies of the Judge." 



12 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

I appealed to Wilson, but he refused to undertake the defense unless 
he received an extra fee. He later tried to manipulate the affair so that 
the Juan Cruz Defense Committee would employ his law partner as 
counsel for the defense. And when the proposition was turned down, 
Wilson wrote me kindly that Cruz would have to "take his medicine." 

I then went to the ladies of the Woman's Christian Temperance 
Union, at Santa Fe, and laid the life of the boy at their feet, telling 
them frankly the situation. They quickly formed the Juan Cruz De- 
fense Committee and sent out circulars appealing for funds with which 
to employ counsel for the Indian. In the meantime, I took the matter 
up personally with Commissioner Valentine. Then came in angry pro- 
tests at the brutal action of Assistant Abbott. Commissioner Valen- 
tine acted quickly, overruling the order of Assistant Abbott, in the 
following telegram, nearly seven weeks after the tragedy: 

Washington, D. C, March 23, 191 1. 
Johnson, Special Officer, Denver, Colo. 

Office telegram February 9, concerning Cruz shooting, hereby 
revoked. Help in his fullest possible protection every way in your 
power. 

Valentine, Commissioner. 

I shall never forget the patient, earnest, devoted work during these 
dark days of the Juan Cruz Defense Committee, consisting of : Mrs. H. 
M. Byrd, Santa Fe, N. M. ; Mrs. Katherine B. Patterson, Santa Fe, N. 
M. ; Mary T. Bryan, Espanola, N. M., and Clara D. True, Espanola, 
N. M. 

Mrs. Patterson, who acted as the Treasurer of the Defense Commit- 
tee, is also Superintendent of the Department of Systematic Giving, of 
the National W. C. T. U. 

From the first, Assistant Commissioner Abbott schemed to discredit 
the work of this committee, sending out letters and telegrams intimat- 
ing that the women were collecting funds under false pretenses. He 
even brazenly denied sending me the telegram of February 9. On May 
20 he telegraphed Laura Stone Power, of Redlands, Acting President 
of the California Indian Association: 

Replying to your telegram of the i8th inst. No instructions were 
ever issued to Chief Officer Johnson forbidding him to help in the 
protection of Juan Cruz, the Indian murderer. 

In addition to denying that he had sent me the telegram of February 
9, Abbott, on the eve of the trial, was officially branding the boy as an 
"Indian murderer." 

The Defense Committee employed J. H. Crist, of Sante Fe, one of 
the ablest criminal lawyers in New Mexico as counsel for the Indian. 
At the request of Commissioner Valentine, the Department of Justice 
instructed United States Attorney David J. Leahy, of Las Vegas, to 



The Story of Juan Cruz. 13 

assist in the defense. Commissioner Valentine also ordered F. S. Wil- 
son, attorney for the Pueblo Indians, to assist. This is the "assistance" 
Wilson rendered : 

1. For two days he endeavored to induce me to advise Cruz to plead 
guilty to murder in the second degree and go to the penitentiary. Ap- 
parently his object was to justify the distorted reports of the case that 
he had been sending to Washington. 

2. He spent much of his time around the street corners abusing the 
trial judge, applying violent and profane epithets to him. 




MISS CLARA D. TRUE. 



3. On the crucial day of the trial, when Juan was freed, Wilson was 
off fishing and knew nothing of what was going on. 

4. After the trial, in the teeth of Mr. Valentine's order to assist in 
the defense, Wilson marshaled the witnesses for the prosecution at Santa 
Fe and tried to get Cruz re-indicted in the Federal Court on charge of 
murder for the same offense. His diabolical scheme was blocked by 
United States Attorney Leahy, who refused to allow Wilson to take 
the witnesses before the grand jury. 

In preparing the case for trial, I felt the opposition of Superintend- 
ent Crandall. I desired to use as a character witness, one of- his teach- 
ers, a most estimable lady, who was especially well qualified as such 
witness and eager to serve. She begged of me to excuse her and I did 



14 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

excuse her, on the ground that she was fearful of Crandall's vengeance? 
upon her if she aided in the defense of Cruz. 

After a week's fight in the court, in which uiiknozvn ijitcresfs em- 
ployed special counsel to assist in the prosecution. Judge John R. Mc- 
Fie ruled that at the time of the shooting Cruz was employed as a Fed- 
eral officer in the discharge of his duty and, as such, was not answer- 
able to the Territorial Court for an oflfense committed while in the 
discharge of his duty. 

W'e had a complete defense for the boy aside from this, which de- 
fense, it was not necessary to present to the jury. Much of the details 
of this defense, Mr. Crist and myself kept from the knowledge of At- 
torney Wilson, fearing treachery. 

Systematic attempts have been made and are being made by agents 
of the Interior Department to blacken and discredit every one who has 
niade an attempt to protect these Pueblo Indians. Agents of the De- 
partment caused me to be thrown into jail on my last trip to Santa Fe 
on a fake charge of criminal libel. I was seized at breakfast and hur- 
ried before a Mexican Justice of the Peace, a friend of Crandall's, who 
promptly held me to the grand jury under bonds of $3,000. I went to 
jail and at once sued out a writ of habeas corpus in the District Court 
where I was promptly released, the Court holding that there was no 
evidence to warrant the proceedings. Then I was sued for one hun- 
dred thousand dollars damages on account of these exposures, the com- 
plainant being Clinton J. Crandall who divides time between selling 
whiskey at Santa Fe and teaching Indian children at the Government 
school. For six months Mr. Abbott has been trying to find some way 
to hold up my accounts for expenses incurred in the defense of Cruz 
in spite of the fact that the law office of the Indian Office has given 
their opinion that the expenditures incurred in this matter were legal. 
There seems to be no limit to the wrath of the Department at my suc- 
cessful defense in this case. 

In addition to the various assaults on me, agents of the Department of 
the Interior have been making a great variety of attacks upon the 
ladies of the Juan Cruz Defense Committee. These attacks have rang- 
ed all the way from circulating lying whisperings against their inte- 
grity to bringing fake litigation against Miss True, and even to Super- 
intendent Crandall's repeatedly cutting the barb-wire fences of Mrs. 
Byrd's ranch. For this he narrowly escaped indictment at the hands of 
tht grand jury; the foreman of the grand jury was Crandall's partner 
in the liquor selling drug store. 

Prior to the trial, both Wilson and Crandall used every effort to in- 
volve Miss True in a crime by trying to prove that she furnished the 
revolver with which the shooting was done. Wilson even reported to 
Washington on February 14, "Mr. Crandall and I have not given up 
hope in connecting her with the matter in such a way as to punish her 
as she deserves." This is apparently one reason why these men want- 
ed Cruz convicted, as a preliminary to some sort of a prosecution 
aeainst one of the best friends of the Indians. A little later, while I 




MRS. KATHERINE B. PATTERSON 

Treasurer of the Juan Cruz Defense Committee and Superintendent 

of the Department of SyEtematic Giving of the 

National W C T U. 

was in Washington, one of the most important Oilicials of the Indian 
Office asked me if I could "not conjure up some sort of a criminal pro- 
secution against Miss True so she will keep her mouth shut.'' 

In striking contrast to the operations of this Departmental crew of 
wriggling, squirming, sword-swallowers, there stands silhouetted 
against the horizon of the situation the character of this Indian boy. 
When he was in the penitentiary waiting trial, I visited him with Mr. 
Crist, to discuss the case. One statement had been misinterpreted to 
uf, making it appear that Juan was contradicting some statement of 
the state's witnesses in a trivial matter. Mr. Crist made a casual re- 
mark that the unnecessary contradiction made it more difficult for us. 
Mr. Crist's remark, not intended for Juan, was interpreted to him. 
C'uick as a flash came back the retort, "I will tell the truth if they 
hang me for it." Later, when the trial was over, and he was free, the 
Indian said, "I knew it would come out this way. I was doing God's 
work and the whole matter was in His hands." 



i6 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

The next day, Juan, as he started home with Dolorita and Baby Jose, 
threw his arms around me in a farewell greeting. I felt then, as I feel 
now, that all of my work in his behalf was not in vain, that any ven- 
geance which the Interior Department and the liquor fraternity might 
inflict upon me could not make me suffer as much as the Santa Clara 
Indians have suffered because of this decade of maladministration by 
the worst plunderbund that has disgraced good government since the 
days of William M. Tweed. 

The night the trial closed, and Juan was set free, the Indians came to 
Miss True. "I knew that Senor Johnson would bring Juan back to 
us. We have all been praying every night," said Valentine Naranjo, 
devoutly baring his head. 

At the recent Convention of the Society of American Indians, form- 
ed at Columbus, O., Tom L. Sloan, a Winnebago Indian, voiced Indian 
sentiment when he said : "What we want is for the Department to 
send us Superintendents who are at least honest, and who are as cap- 
able of managing the affairs of the Indians as the Indians are them- 
selves." 

The Reader of the Stars of Puye is doing the best he can to find 
where the end of it is. 



JOHNSON ANSWERS ADAMS' 
POSTHUMOUS "CHARGES" 

Laurel, Md., December 9, 191 1. 
Hon. Samuel Adams, 

Assistant Secretary of the Interior, 
Washington, D. C. 
My Dear Mr. Secretary : 

I have to reply to your letter of the 29th ult. 

On October 29th, Secretary Fisher gave out to the newspapers at 
Washington a statement that I preferred to resign my position as Chief 
Special Officer of the United States Indian Service "rather than meet 
certain definite charges against him." These clippings were called to 
my attention in the far West. Inasmuch as no charges whatever had 
been preferred against me which I refused to meet, I wrote the Secre- 
tary on November 11, requesting a copy of the alleged charges to 
which he referred, that I might make a defense thereto. 

Your reply dated November 29th is a general roast of thirteen pages, 
in which is mixed argument, innuendo, imputation, vituperation and 
some definite statements. I will assort the definite statements from 
the mess as best I can and make reply thereto. 

First, permit me to inquire: If definite charges had been presented 
to me and that I resigned rather than to meet them, what business 
had you as an administrative officer to accept my resignation which 
I have in my possession signed by your own hand. Outside of the 

NOTE.— These "charges" were not made until November 29, more than two 
months after I had resigned and my resignation had been accepted. They were 
not made until it became necessary to do something to discredit the numerous 
scandals that were getting into print regarding the maladministration of Indian 
affairs in New Mexico and elsewhere. The charges were invented for this purpose. 



The Story of Juan Cruz. i7 

Interior Department, the acceptance of a resignation is regarded as a 
clean bill of health. I waived my rights m this matter and invited 
vou to file any charges that you might conjure up after you had ac- 
cepted my resignation, and to make them public if you desired. 

Your attentiSn is called to the fact that on September 17, after 1 
had handed in my resignation, you yourself pve out to the "ewspaper 
correspondents a statement that "no fault had been found w th Mr. 
Johnson's integrity or his character." You also complimented my 

"'Y^u'r attention is also invited to the fact fat only a few days prior 
to the oiving out of Mr. Fisher's interview, he himself definitely stated 
to Clarli D True, while she was his guest on his private car through 
New Mexico, that there were no charges against me at all. i here- 
with submit a letter from Miss True. 

Espanola, New Mexico, October 25, 191 1-' 

Mr. William E. Johnson, 
Denver, Colorado. 

^^ The''re«nJsuTement of Hon. Walter Fisher in the press, that you resigned 

rathe?rhrn"f|e;kena. defin^^^^^ 

late conversaton with Mr. J^isher tnat^^ ^^^^^ ^^ Washington not long 

' t" .Jled Toon him ^nd by inviUtion rode with him a distance between Al- 
ago, I called upon mm ana oy iirvu. seemed trouble by your resignation 

*'^v,''\"''r' .^"/h'^Tad nT expected of desired.^nd that there were no fharges 
Safn\t^;ou"'Tlie'ituarn"Tecu1iar.'^ SomeoAe has blundered. Ver.y ^inc^r^ely. 

■ After I announced' mv intention to resign, and after you knew it, 
^n emissary came to me'from your office stating that you were willing 
to accept my resignation provided I would go away and keep my 
mouth shut." I replied, in substance: 

VI will agree to no such thing. I am going out a free man 1 pre- 
fer, t^ be dismissed, and want to be dismissed " J.^^ .d°" ^ d^'^' 
me to-day, I shall resign to-day." You failed to dismiss me and I 
resigned and you accepted my resignation. 

Your account of the '-conference" preceding my resignation is a 
ve^y good buHesque of the facts. It is true that I was called oWash- 
[n-ton by you. About an hour before the conference, a PO^tician anci 
. officeholder who is intimately connected with the Interior pepartment 
offidals asked me by telephone to meet him at the Metropolitan Hotel. 
He said to me : 

"I have inside information from the Interior Department 
as to what is wanted of you. Your are getting too many 
' Snvicdons and it is causing trouble. They are JUSt going 
to raise hell with you to-day and try ^"d hammer you nto 
a frame of mmd whereby you will be willing to go to sleep 
on your job." 

"l was ushered in your presence without any ^P^.^i^^, j"^°Tar°o"und 
Ife nlreSne l^^Stf ^^^t^ |,a| 

nine hundred different criminal cases pending on the dockets, ma y 



i8 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

of your questions were insulting, insinuating and accompanied with 
sneers. There was plenty of innuendo in your questionmg, but no 
"charges" of any sort were presented to me, and my attention was 
called to no "charges" of any kind or character, and you well know it. 
The first charges that have been called to my attention are contained 
in your letter of November 29th. The only paper of any kind that I 
was allowed to examine at the conference was an affidavit of George 
Anton, in which he swore to receiving three dollars from me and that 
he did not know what it was for. There were no charges in connection 
with the matter. You asked me to say what I had to say regarding the 
affidavit "at my convenience." I complied about a week later. I deal 
with this matter later in this letter. Your whole course during this 
"third degree" performance fully confirmed the advance information 
that I received in the Metropolitan Hotel as to your real purposes. 

You make a specious argument of four pages in an effort to prove 
that I was "insubordinate" in matters growing out of certain New 
Mexico complications. The real story of this matter is this : Owing 
to long continued abuses of your department in New Mexico, the six 
thousand Pueblo Indiums had been compelled to form a Federation in 
order to protect themselves against the maladministration of your 
office, a scandal of years standing. The Indians complained because 
you employed a liquor dealer as their Superintendent, and accused 
him of selling liquor illegally. They had numerous other grievances 
which were habitually ignored by your office. Because they complained, 
your agents went out on a campaign of "punishment." Mr. Abbott 
withheld approval of all my deputy appointments in New Mexico, 
nearly al^ of whom were Indians. The District Court came on at 
Albuquerque and the Federal Court at Santa Fe. I wished to prose- 
cute one Jesus Castellano for selling liquor to two of my Indian 
deputies. The District Attorney would not pay their witness fees be- 
cause they lived outside of the county at a distance. I had no au- 
thority to pay them anything except as deputies, and you held up their 
appointments, thus blocking the prosecution of Castellano. 

I desired to prosecute in the Federal Court, Claro Marino, who was 
peddling whisky to Indians under the guise of peddling vegetables. 
I had already instituted prosecutions against her in the Territorial 
Courts. It was necessary to employ an Indian deputy to run down 
some witnesses. I could not do this because you would not allow me 
to employ such deputy. In this way you blocked the prosecution of 
both of these cases. 

I also desired to employ an Indian deputy to assist the District 
Attorney and constable as interpreter and scout in presenting to the 
grand jury half a dozen cases which had been bound over in the Justice 
Court at my instigation. You would not allow such employment, and 
five of the six cases were saved only because the Indians loyally came 
to the rescue and did the work unofficially and without compensation. 

As these events were developing, I took this situation up with you 
by wire, and you still refused to allow me to employ the Indians, but 
ordered me to send a Special Officer. The nearest officer was exactly 
1,007 miles away, and all the officers were engaged on other urgent 
work. It would require an expenditure of several hundreds of dollars 
to comply with your order, and the special officers could not do the work 
needed in any event, as they could not interpret. They could not 
employ interpreters because you have never given me authority to 
employ interpreters. I have always used deputies as interpreters, and 
you had blocked my employment of deputies in New Mexico, thus 
blocking my use of interpreters there. 

1 tried to explain this to you again, asking if you desired me to 
aliandon the cases. I stated that if you insisted I could send a Special 
Officer. You wired me to place a Special Officer at your disposal for 



The Story of Juan Cruz. 19 

New Mexico operations, and I promptly did so ; but even then you 
did not send the officer whom I had placed at your disposal for this 
purpose. You thereby blocked the prosecution of both the Castellano 
and Marino cases and jeopardized the prosecution in all the other cases. 

These tactics of yours are by no means new to me. By similar 
intrigues your department has blocked my prosecutions in something 
like 250 cases of various sorts during the past two years. 

Aside from the interfering with the successful prosecution of these 
cases, your purpose manifestly was to trick me into a color of "insub- 
ordination." If I had not suspended the operations of the New Mexico 
deputies, whose appointments you had refused to approve, you would 
have had me on the carpet for "insubordination" ; now you accuse 
me of "insubordination" because I DID suspend their operations. 
Apparently you were determined to get me going or coming. 

You charge — 

"Including in the moneys paid out by you at the time of 
the defence of Juan Cruz, was $61 paid to Pedro Baca as 
a posseman, in the face of the fact that, by Department 
telegram of February 18, 191 1, you were directed to termi- 
nate the employment of Pedro Baca who had been for- 
merly employed by you as a special deputy officer." 

It is true that Baca's activities in suppressing the liquor traffic among 
Indians, and his criticism of Indian Superintendent Crandall for illegal 
sales of whisky was followed by departmental orders to dismiss him, 
without cause. On February 9th, Assistant Commissioner Abbott 
telegraphed me to take no steps to the defense of Juan Cruz, an In- 
dian, who had been employed by me to assist in the suppression of 
the liquor traffic among Indians. Through the intriguing of Indian 
Superintendent Crandall, who is himself a liquor dealer, four drunken 
Indians had murderously attacked Cruz when in the discharge of his 
duty. In self-defence Cruz was alleged to have shot the principal 
assailant. Cruz was held for murder in the first degree and the prose- 
cution was being strenuously supported by special counsel having been 
employed by interested parties to assist the District Attorney. 

The ladies of the W. C. T U. then undertook to raise funds to 
defend the Indian's life, the fight for which Mr. Abbott ordered me 
to abandon. The Abbott order caused so much criticism against your 
Department that on March 23d Commissioner Valentine overruled 
the same order in the following telegram, addressed to me : 

"Office telegram, February 9th, concerning Cruz shoot- 
ing hereby revoked. Help in his fullest possible protection 
every way in your power." 

Under the authority of this telegram and under my general authority 
to em.plov deputies and possemen temporarily, I employed Baca to 
assist. He was an important witness; a well educated Indian, and 
could do the necessarv work better than anyone else. It was a matter 
of life or death. Your real objection to the matter seems to be your 
anger that I was successful in saving the Indian's hfe and securmg his 
freedom. After he was released, your own representative, F. S. Wil- 
son attornev for the Pueblo Indians, and officer of your own Depart- 
ment marshalled the witnesses for the prosecution before the Federal 
Court and tried to get Cruz reindicted by the Federal Grand Jury on 
the same charge of murder. After your own official agents had tried 



20 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

to get Cruz reindicted, and failed, you had the nerve to tell me that 
you "would not harm Cruz if I could." 
You charge — 

"From your accounts it appears that you employed Syl- 
viano Roybal as a deputy special officer from June i6 to 
June 21, at $5 a day. Mr. Roybal was the sheriff who had 
the prisoner Cruz in his custody. It is difficult for me to 
see in this payment to him of $30 as a special deputy any 
motive on your part but an improper one." 

Sheriff Roybal receives no salary, only fees. Every lawyer in the 
United States, outside of the Interior Department, knows that it is 
the duty of a sheriff to subpoena witnesses for the defense in criminal 
cases as well as for the prosecution. We asked Mr. Roybal to secure 
the attendance of various witnesses in the Cruz case in the usual way. 
The County Commissioners refused to pay him for the work; I there- 
fore paid him officially as my deputy for his time. Some time ago, 
the Auditor for the Interior Department called my attention to a 
Federal statute forbidding the acceptance of services to the Govern- 
ment without compensation. Your anger at my success in the Cruz 
case seems to so blind you that you regard it as improper for me to 
obey the law. 

Talking about "misappropriation of funds," how about that thou- 
sand dollars of Indian money which Superintendent Crandall got, 
ostensibly to "improve the roads in and about the Indian Pueblos"? 
He spent the money to aid the construction of an automobile speed- 
way along La Bajada hill, and eight miles from the nearest Indian. 
The "speedway" is through the property of the chief political boss of 
New Mexico. See Singleton's report for full particulars of this par- 
ticular graft. The report has been in your possession for seven months. 
You yourself personally condoned this job. 

You charge — 

"You paid Miss True $72 for 24 days' alleged services as 
posseman, when, as shown by your letter of July 20, you 
had been instructed by the Department to discontinue the 
services of Miss True and Pedro Baca * * * You 
admitted that Miss True would have worked just as hard 
for the defence of Juan Cruz without employment and 
without payment at all. It therefore follows that your 
payment of Government funds for this purpose was a 
misuse of such funds." 

The Department, it is true, compelled me to terminate the services 
of Miss True and Pedro Baca on account of their activities for the 
Indians, and for their criticisms of illegal liquor selling on the part 
of Indian Superintendent Crandall. For the details of this booze 
peddling superintendent, you only have to refer to the voluminous 
report of Inspector Shelby M. Singleton, which report has been in 
your possession for seven months, and which apparently is also "diffi- 
cult for you to see." During the six weeks before the infamous 
Abbott telegram of February 9th was overruled by Commissioner Val- 
entine, this devoted woman was spending almost her whole time and 
hundreds of dollars of her own funds in trying to protect the Indian 
boy. After I was officially directed by Commissioner Valentine to 
"help in his fullest possible protection every way in your power," I 
employed Miss True for a few days, paying her as a posseman. She 
was a vitally important witness for the defense, and much of this $72 
was for her time in attendance upon this court as a witness. The 



The Story of Juan Cruz. 



z\ 



court, while discharging Cruz from custody, refused to allow the fees 
of any witnesses for the defense, on the theory that that was a proper 
charge, under the circumstances, upon the Federal Government. Hav- 
ing this attitude of the court in mind, and having in mind the Federal 
statute against accepting gratuitous services in behalf of the Govern- 
ment, I paid Miss True for her time. 

I have been making payments of this sort for five years with the full 
knowledge of your own Department. These payments have been uni- 
formly approved during all this time. Some months ago, the Comp- 




FRANCISCO NARANJO 

Chief of the Federation of Indian Pueblos, and Presidente of 
the Pueblo Indian Temperance Society. 



troller specifically and in writing approved this class of payments. 
But when the attempt is foiled to hang an Indian boy who had been 
indiscreet enough to criticise an Indian superintendent, who is one of 
your political associates, for selling whisky illegally, then and not till 
then do you rise up in your might and shout about such payments for 
services being a "misuse of Governmental funds." 

Did you ever hear of the inebriate who wandered all over Wash- 
ington buttonholing people and saying, "I smell Limburger cheese in 



22 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

your pockets?" When the toper got home, his wife went through his 
pockets, as wives do, and found a whole pound of Limburger cheese 
in her husband's pocket. 
Your charge: 

"It appears that you also paid J. H. Crist as a special 
deputy ofificer from June 13 to 17, at $5 per day, when to 
your knowledge Crist was employed to defend Cruz by the 
so-called Juan Cruz Defence Committee. * * * 
Revised Statutes, Section 189, forbids the employment of 
attorneys or counsel at the expense of the United States." 

I did not employ Crist as an "attorney or counsel," and you know it, 
and as your charge indicates. I paid him for his time as a "deputy," 
to gather evidence in the Cruz case and some other matters connected 
with the suppression of the liquor traffic among Indians. There are 
scores of attorneys employed in the Indian Office and field service, 
in other capacities than as "attorneys." I have employed dozens of 
them as deputies, but never as "attorneys." I have done this with the 
full knowledge and consent of your own Department. Your own De- 
partment is at this very hour employing many lawyers to do precisely 
thf same class of work that I employed Crist to do, and you well 
know it. 

You charge — 

"You also paid George Anton as posseman on June 21, 
$3. An affidavit to the effect that he did not know why the 
money was paid him was turned over to you on the day 
of the hearing, with the request that you prepare an an- 
swer to the affidavit. Instead of preparing such answer, 
you handed in your resignation." 

The affidavit was not turned over to me to "answer." It was turned 
over to me to make an "explanation in writing" and at my "conven- 
ience." I made the explanation on my arrival at Denver about a week 
later. That explanation has been in your own office since last Sep- 
tember. You will find it pigeonholed, perhaps with the Singleton re- 
port, in some rathole of the Interior Department, unless too "difficult 
for you to see." I will repeat the substance of the "explanation." On 
the morning of June 21, Anton, an ex-saloon keeper, and an employee 
of one of Superintendent Crandall's personal friends, came to me, 
stating that he had evidence and could get some more within a few days 
work that one "Shorty" Frank had been selling liquor to Indians. I 
told him to work the matter up, and that I would pay him for his 
time. An hour later. Miss True told me that Anton had just come to 
her stating that he had an appointment with the Cruz jury for 9 o'clock 
that night, and that he wanted her to go with him to "fix" the jury. 
( Since writing my "explanation" I found a witness of the highest 
character who had hid behind a door and overheard the whole con- 
versation, thus corroborating Miss True completely.) I immediately 
reported the matter to United States Attorney Leahy. Not knowing 
of the corroborative testimony, we decided to take no action as it 
would simply be Anton's word against Miss True's. I did, however, 
immediately dismiss Anton, but paid him three dollars for the day's 
work he actually did. The three dollars were paid bv an official Treas- 
ury check in the usual way, and the letter of transmittal stated that 
the check was for "payment of your services on June 21st." Your 
office has a copy of the letter of transmittal and knows all about the 



The Story of Juan Cruz. 23 

transaction. You, apparently, seem to be incensed that I did not fall 
into the trap set by parties interested in the prosecution of Cruz. 
You charge — 

"The most serious thing in connection with the matter 
seemed to me to be the paying of Juan Cruz $6 as posse- 
man, for the days of February 3 and 4, being the day 
before and the day of the shooting of Garcia by Cruz. 
This payment was not made until May 26." 

I paid this claim as soon as I was convinced that it was a just claim 
and not before. Sometimes it takes the Department years to find out 
whether a claim is just or not. 

In support of the above charge, you quote from various letters of 
mine, written before I had conferred with Assistant Chief Cogges- 
hall, who originally appointed Cruz in my name, and who had imme- 
diate charge of the New Mexico work; letters written before I had 
personally made an investigation and at a time when I was depending 
chiefly on Superintendent Crandall and Attorney Wilson for infor- 
mation as to the case. Investigation showed these sources of infor- 
mation to be valueless. 

You carefully refrain from quoting from my report made after a 
thorough personal investigation, which, from your near-sightedness, 
it is again "difificult to see." In these subsequent reports the facts were 
fully set forth, and my former letters thereby modified and corrected. 
You are still hunting for that Limburger cheese. The Justice of the 
Peace pettifogging methods to which you resort in the above charge 
do not seem to call for an extended reply. 

You say that Assistant Commissioner Abbott denies compelling me 
to write a laudatory letter of June 29, to Mrs. Patterson, in which 
Abbott is extolled as a man of "high character." I expected Mr. Ab- 
bott to deny it — he is that kind of a man. But a portion of the original 
draft of that letter is in Abbott's own handwriting. You say "your 
making the statement above set out shows that you were totally unfit to 
hold any position involving the exercise of discretion." That is prob- 
ably true from the standpoint of men like you, whose purposes seem to 
be best served by concealing and hiding things from the public, just 
as you are now concealing the report of Inspector Shelby M. Single- 
ton, detailing the appalling rottenness of your own administration in 
New Mexico. You further observe regarding the statement, "whether 
true or not, it shows you to be guilty of moral cowardice in an ex- 
treme measure." Perhaps. But Mr. Adams, if your superior. Secre- 
tary Fisher, should come to you demanding that you prepare a letter 
extolling his high character, wouldn't you do it? I did not give Mr. 
Abbott away in the matter until I got out of the service, and I did not 



NOTE. — Since I entered the Service of the Government, I have disbursed ap- 
pro.ximately $220,000 of pul lie funds, in the most intricate and irregular kind of 
service vi'hich has been bu It up and estabbshed under my direction. In all of 
this amount, in spite cf the fact that frr four months the extens ve resources 
of the Department had been bent on finding something to discredit my work 
or accounts, the "most serious thing" that Secretray Adams can find is this six 
dollars which I paid to Juan Cruz for two days' service. In not a single case 
in his thirteen pages of phillipics, does he even attempt to trace one single 
copper into my own pocket. Further, all of these "charges" are in connection 
with my defense of Juan Cruz whom the liquor interests and the Interior Depart- 
ment wanted to send to the gallows in spite of Commissioner Valentine's tele- 
gram to me. Note that Juan Cruz' offense consisted in criticising Indian Supt. 
Crandall for being involved in illicit liquor selling. Three times Commissioner 
Valentine has recommended that Crandall be dismissed from the service for his 
conduct. Inspector Singleton recommended that he be dismissed, and since the 
first edition of this pamphlet was printed, it is announced that he has been 
"transferred," thus fully justifying the accusations of the Indians against him. 



24 



The Story of Juan Cruz. 



do it then until it became necessary in order to protect the Pueblo In- 
dians from Abbott's vindictive schemes. 

In this connection, how about you accepting my resignation with lau- 
datory observations to the newspapers regarding me. and Fisher telling 
Miss True that there were no charges against me, and then, when the 
scandalous conduct of your own Department is exposed, you rend the 




SANTIAGO NARANJO 

Governor of Santa Clara. He says: "I wan-ta mal<-a 
da straight way for my people." 



air with maledictions against me to cover up the rottenness of your 
own Department as shown in Inspector Singleton's report. 

You mention a charge of "inattention to duty" but state nothing of 
what the charge consists. The records show that the Service, under 
my direction, filed during the last fiscal year, 1717 new cases, secured 
1 168 convictions, and had only 34 acquittals at the hands of juries. We 
have secured apprcximateh" 3400 convictions since I have had charge 



The Story of Juan Cruz. 25 

of this Service. All this has been accomplished in spite of the subter- 
ranean intrigues of that bedlam of incompetency officially known as 
the Department of the Interior. Your conception of my "duty" seem- 
ed to be that of sleeping on my job. From that standpoint I am justly 
accused. 

You gave out your letter of November 29th to the newspapers be- 
fore sending it to me. I have no objections to that. I will give out 
copies of this letter to the newspapers. Let everything come out. 
Suppose that you now give out copies of the big report of Inspector 
Singleton on the rotten condition of your administration in New 
Mexico. People are clamoring for it and you are standing them off 
with letters saying that the "report is still under discussion," etc. You 
have had it "under discussion" for seven months. Why not turn 
it loose and let the people "discuss" it for a while. 

My dear Mr. Secretary: Look in your own pockets — you may find 
that Limburger cheese there. 
Respectfully, 

WILLIAM E. JOHNSON. 



MEMORIAL OF THE SANTA CLARA 
PUEBLO INDIANS 

Espanola, N. M., Oct. 11, 191 1. 

Dear Friend : We are forced to make an appeal to you in hope of 
securing some redress of grievances and wrongs which we have suffer- 
ed and are suffering at the hands of the Indian Bureau. 

We own several thousand acres of well-watered land. Part of this 
is an executive order reservation and part is fee simple land owned by 
ourselves under a Spanish grant confirmed by the United States Courts. 

For seven years something like a thousand head of cattle belonging 
to politicians have overrun our lands, eating up our pasture, breaking 
down our fences, destroying our crops, devastating our fields, and de- 
priving us of our principal means of livelihood. The Indian Office 
compels us to submit to these wrongs. 

Several months ago the Secretary of the Interior sent an honest man 
down here to investigate. Mr. Shelby M. Singleton, attorney for the 
Chicago Citizens' Association. He reported fully the outrages perpe- 
trated upon us by representatives of the Indian Office and not only re- 
commended, but personally pleaded that justice be done us. Mr. Sin- 
gleton's report was suppressed by the politicians and he was disgraced 
for recommending that the abuses be corrected. We beg of you to call 
upon the Indian Office for a copy of ^Nlr. Singleton's report and get the 
whole truth. 

We solemnly protest against a notorious liquor dealer who is presi- 
dent and director of a drug store in Santa Fe, which we have repeated- 
ly caught selling liquor unlawfully, being retained as superintendent 
of the school where we have to send our children. 

We plead with you to call and make public the report of Mr. Single- 
ton and help us protect ourselves against the wrongs heaped upon us 



26 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

by the Indian Office in the interest of corrupt politicians and liquor 
dealers. 

(Signed) Santiago Naranjo, Governor of Santa Clara Pueblo. 

ViCTORiANO SiSNEROS, Lieutenant Governor, 

Florentino Sisneros, Captain of War, 

Candito Tafoya, Sheriff, 

Jose Maria Naranjo, Cacique. 

Jose Manuel Naranjo, Priest of the Winter Clan, 

Leandfo Tafoya, Ex-Governor, 

Francisco Naranjo, 

ex-Gov. and Chief of the Gen. Fed. of Pueblo Ind. 

J\L-\NUEL lAFOYA, Priucipale, 

Pedeo Cajete, Principale, 

Pedko Baca, Principale, 

Ui-Ocio Naranjo, Principale, 

Jose Domingo Ogustierrez, Councilman, 

Vida Ogustierrez, Councilman, 

Valentine Naranjo, Councilman, 

Severo Naranjo, Councilman. 

GRIEVANCES OF THE SANTA CLARA INDIANS RE- 
PORTED AT THE GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE 
FEDERATION OF PUEBLO INDIANS, MAY, 191 1 

1. We have been lied to and lied to about by the Superintendent 
until the situation is intolerable. 

2. The attorney for the Pueblo Indians has refused to serve us in 
any capacity. 

3. We have a worthless and really hostile set of men quartered up- 
on us for the ostensible protection of Santa Clara Reservation but 
really to keep us out of the use of the lands. 

4. We are getting little use of our reservation lands, although we 
own in fee siniple nearly all the water, if not actually all, of Santa 
Clara Creek. The Forest Service assumes the right to pasture our lands 
and distribute the water to white cattle men. Thev say they need the 
water. So do we and we own it. There is other water for the white 
men s cattle. W e do not get anything in return for the depredation of 
our lands or the use of the water, although we are supposed to receive 
grazing and wood. 

5- \\'e want to know our legal status under the Treatv of Guada- 
lupe. 

6. We want competent legal protection, which we have never had 
except for the short time Judge Pope was in office as Pueblo Attorney' 

l/quoI t1^?f?C. "''°''' ™^ SUPPRESSION OF THE 

8. We ask for the backing up of our Indians when they take up this 
work of liquor suppression. 

Q. We want better schools. Our schools grow poorer every 
year partly from the lack of easily supplied equipment and partly frorn 
indifference. 

10. We ask for the efforts of the Indian Office to be used for the 
eradication of eye troubles and consumption. This work was begun 
but because it interfered with Mr. Crandall's policv of suppression of 
publicity of the distressmg condition of the Indians under his care he 
used every means to discourage it. 



The Story of Juan Cruz. 2~ 

11. 'We want better farming instruction. Our present farmer is a 
farce. 

12. We want a better Indian police force. The present head of the 
police force wears a black eye a good part of the time, given him \>y a 
drunken wife. 

13. WE INSIST THAT ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICERS. 
WHITE OR INDIAN, BE DISCHARGED FOR DRUNKENNESS. 

14. We want investigation of the Hobart lands, which we do not 
believe we lost, and we want investigation of the Guachipangi watei 
situation, which we believe a fraud upon us Indians. 

15. We ask that the boundary lines of our reservation be straighten- 
ed by making an addition to the reservation from the forest of Jemez. 
His land is ours anyway. We bought it from private owners more 
than a century ago. 

16. We ask that Assistant Commissioner Abbott's recommendation 
as to this addition be most carefully looked into. He recommended 
that it be made, but that our reservation be taken from us and divided 
up with all the Tehua tribes. This would not be anything but a punish- 
ment to our tribe for its independence, and the other tribes do not want 
to steal from us. There is plenty of land to give them without taking 
away ours. 



APPEAL TO THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN INDIANS 

f Telegr.\m] 

Espanola, N. M., Oct. 11, 191 1- 
To Tom L. Slo.an, 

Cake American Indian Association in Session, o 

Columbus, Ohio. 
For seven years many hundreds of cattle belonging to white and 
Mexican politicians have overrun our reservation and fee simple lands 
destroying our crops, breaking down our fences, devastating our fields 
and depriving us of our livelihood. The Indian Office knows all about 
this, but compels us to endure these outrages. This is but one of the 
many wrongs inflicted upon the Pueblo Indians by the Indian adminis- 
tration for political advantages. We have protested repeatedly for 
years, but get nothing but lies and insults in return. We beg of you 
to help us if it is in your power to do so. 

(Signed) Santiac Naranjo, Governor of Santa Clara, 
ViCTORiANO SisNEKOS, Lic'itenant Governor, 
Leander Tafoya, Chief Pr-ncipale, 
Francisco Naranjo, ex-Governor, 
Pedro Baca, ex-Lieutenant Governor, 
Pedro Catete, ex-GoAernor. 



NOTE. — About the middle of October, two weeks after I had quit the Service, 
Commissioner Valentine, lashed into activity by public scandal, hurried to New 
Mexico and ordered these cattle driven off the Indan lanr!= Valentine wanted to 
do this months ago, but Secretary Adams refused to allow it to be done. It 
required seven years of complaints on the part of the Indians and finally my 
resignation and a public scandal to bring this outrageous robbery to an end. In- 
spector Singleton recommended that the Santa Clara Pueblo Indians be paid 
$2,000 damages for this seven years of looting. Commissioner Valentine approv- 
ed this recommendation. Assistant Commissioner Abbott and Assistant Secre- 
tary Adams have so far blocked this simple act of justice. During the Santa 
Claia floods last July, several of the trespassing cattle were drowned. "W'e have 
struggled for seven years to get these cattle oh. Now God has come to help us by 
sending a flood to drown the cows," said old Nicanor Tafoya grimly -as he watch- 
ed his own atoi\e mill wash away in the torrent. In this act of driving off the 
cattle, the Department acknowledges the justice of the seven years complaints of 
these Indians. 



28 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

"SMALLPOX" TACTICS 

Espanola, N. Mex., April 23, 191 1, 
My Dear Mr. Johnson : 

That you may realize some of the difficulties under which your men 
labor with Mr. Crandall's constant underground opposition, I beg to 
call your attention the fact of his sending out letters to the Southern 
Pueblos commanding them to avoid Santa Clara and San Ildefonso 
as we have smallpox in those villages. He says in these letters that in 
addition to having smallpox, the Santa Clara's are bad people. The 
Governor of Cochiti received one of these letters and gave me the in- 
formation I here quote. 

There is not and has not been a case of smallpox in either San 
Ildefonso or Santa Clara for many years. There is no smallpox any- 
where else that we have any knowledge of in all the Espanola country. 
There is not even a sick man, woman, or child in Santa Clara, as I 
can make affidavit, and nobody knows of any in San Ildefonso. 

The two villages mentioned have quit drinking. Your work pros- 
pers in both places. Mr. Crandall is afraid other villages will come 
ever on our side if there is any intercourse. He did not suppose 1 
would get the information. 

If the Indians in San Ildefonso and Santa Clara were infected with 
any contagious disease, making a quarantine necessary, San Juan 
would be infected too, as it is only six miles from us and we see each 
other daily. But San Juan is a drunken village and Mr. Crandall did 
not wish the other Indians to keep away from there. 

I am very sorry our Superintendent secretly hinders moral refor- 
mation. I hope you will call the attention of the Commissioner to this 
matter. We should have a hard time to clean up the villages even if 
we had all possible encouragement from officials. As it is, the matter 
is extremely difficult. Besides being your deputy here, I am a full- 
blood Santa Clara Indian and therefore I think I should protest. 
Very respectfully, 

Severo Naranjo, 
Deputy Special Officer. 



FATHER HAELTERMAN TELLS OF THE REFORM 

Santa Cruz, N. M., Sept. 25, 191 1. 
Mk. W. E. Johnson, 
Denver, Colo. 
Dear Sir : 

The Friday's issue of the Denver Times telling of your resignation 
as Indian Official came as a shock to me ; it was the "last thing I had 
thought of. 

The Service never had a man who worked more strennouslv and 
unremittingly than you have done for the suppression of the 'liquor 
traffic among the Indians. 

I was hoping the men in Washington at the head of the Indian 
Bureau would show their appreciation of your work bv soon giving 
you a well deserved promotion and am at a' loss for words with which 
to express my sorrow at your resigning, as it will be a difficult task to 
find a man, so well suited to your place. 

The good you have done among my Indians here by vour tireless 
efforts in their behalf is already apparent. Among the' Santa Clara's 
for mstance, where a few years ago much drunkenness and abuse ex- 



RD 14$ 



The Story of Juan Cruz. 29 

isted, there is now perfect harmony. Several men who were accus- 
tomed to beat their wives are now model husbands since they leave 
liquor alone. 

Another man who was under the influence of drink all the time and 
very quarrelsome and troublesome among his people is now one of the 
most respected and respectful men I have in my parish. 

Your absence from the Service would be a great loss to the Indians, 
all of whom consider you the best friend they have. It will be a loss to 
me in many ways, as you have helped my people where others failed. 

Every man in Washington who knows of your work cannot but ad- 
mit that in accepting your resignation the Indian Service loses the best 
man it ever had. 

In view of all this I beg you to reconsider the matter and recall your 
resignation. 

Such men as you are too scarce, we cannot afford to lose a single 
one. Very sincerely yours. 

Rev. G. Haelterman, 
(Missionary Priest in charge of the Parish of Santa Cruz) 



AN INDIAN APPRECIATION 

Espanola, N. M., Sept. 19, 191 1. 
Mr. W. E. Johnson, 

Chief Special Ofificer, U. S. I. S., 
Denver, Colo. 
Dear Sir : The Pueblo of Santa Clara, mindful of its regeneration 
through your efforts, most cordially invites you to be its guest for as 
long a time as you will enjoy it. Horses, saddles, guns, guides and 
tents, with the best rations at our command, will be provided you as 
long as you can make use of them. We hope you will come to us and 
go to the mountains for a much needed rest. All we have is yours now 
and always. This is but small pay for the manhood you have restored 
to this village by stopping the liquor traffic here. We know you helped 
us at the price of your position. No other man in the Indian Service 
would have risked his head by stayng with us and saving the life of 
Juan Cruz. You may go down in apparent defeat before the whiskey 
ring at Washington but in the hearts of a quarter of a million Ameri- 
can Indians, you are a hero. There is probably not one of this great 
number but what has come under the influence of your work. 
Come and be a good Indian with us. 
Very sincerely. 

The Council of Santa Clara, 

By Victoriano Sisneros, 

Acting Governor. 



THANKS FROM THE JUAN CRUZ 
DEFENSE COMMITTEE. 

[Telegram] 

Tierra Amarilla, N. M., June 21, 1911. 
;(!^pMMissioNER Indian Affairs, 
W^ashington, D. C. 
Juan Cruz today declared Federal officer in the discharge of his 
duty, when he killed Garcia. February fourth, McFie rendering opinion. 



30 The Story of Juan Cruz. 

We desire to thank you for assistance of Chief Special Officer John- 
son. His service in this case cannot be too enthusiastically described. 
Not only did he save the Indian, but he secured from the court a de- 
cision which will go down in the legal history of New Mexico for the 
protection of future operations by Indian Office employes engaged in 
the suppression of the liquor traffic. 

Mary T. Bkyan, Secretary, 
Juan Cruz Defense Committee. 



RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT THE TERRITORIAL CON- 
VENTION OF THE NEW MEXICO W. C. T. U. AT 
LAS VEGAS, N. M., OCTOBER 19, 20, 21, 1911 

Be it resolved, That this convention congratulates the Indians of 
Santa Clara Pueblo on their attitude in the liquor suppression ques- 
tion and commends that village for its splendid record of nearly 300 
Indians who have become total abstainers through the reform move- 
ment instituted in New Mexico by Chief Special Officer of the Indian 
Bureau, W. E. Johnson. 

We deplore the present conditions of the liquor suppression depart- 
ment of the new state, resulting from official departmental hindrances, 
and an effort to sustain in position over the Indians, men of notorious 
character and men directly interested in the unlawful sale of liquor. 

We deem the matter of sufficient importance to warrant the widest 
publicity of our sentiments and shall supply to the officials in charge 
of Indian Affairs, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Chairman of 
the Indian Committee in the House and Senate, copies of this resolu- 
tion. 



JOHNSON DEFIES HIS PERSECUTORS 

[Telegram] 

Santa Fe, N. M., Oct. 10, 191 1. 
Valentine, Indian Office, Washington, D. C. 

Yesterday the booze interests here had a very good inning. Super- 
intendent Crandall had me in jail for several hours. I had to get an 
order from the District Court before the Sheriff would accept a thou- 
sand dollar bond from sureties who were able to qualify in more than 
two hundred thousand dollars. The Woman's Christian Temperance 
Union furnished the bail pending habeas corpus proceedings. Hun- 
dieds of the politicians' cattle are in possession of the Santa Clara 
Indian lands and the Indian Office refuses to interfere. You are de- 
priving these Indians of their means of livelihood for political graft's 
sake. I am ready to go to jail as often and as long as the Indian Of- 
fice and the liquor interests desire if it will help remedy these outrages 
that the Indian administration is inflicting upon these defenseless peo- 
ple. You can't make me suffer as much as you have already caused 
these Indians to suffer. 

William E. Johnson. 






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